What caught my eye was some artwork at the station commemorating the workers who used to work in the munitions factories in Woolwich. The earth-tone sculptures reminding rail users of days gone by when the area supplied the British army with ammunitions.
Originally known as Woolwich Warren, the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, South East London, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the UK armed forces.
In 1671, the Warren in Tower Place was established as an Ordnance Storage Depot. In 1695, an ammunition laboratory, called the Royal Laboratory, was added and a gun foundry, called the Royal Brass Foundry, was established in 1717. The Royal Arsenal ceased to be a military establishment in 1994.
Today, the area is the focus of redevelopment in the Thames Gateway zone, but links to its past hasn’t been forgotten. A number of historical buildings are being included in the redevelopment. The artwork at the train station adds to this memory.
Regardless of whether people agree with Britain’s military past (and present), its impact has had an impact on the urban landscape, people’s working lives and society’s collective memory.